Russian opposition politician Lev Shlosberg sentenced to over 11 years in prison

Russian opposition politician Lev Shlosberg received an 11-year prison sentence for his remarks on Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russian media reported that Shlosberg, a former member of the now-banned Yabloko party, was found guilty of "discrediting the Russian army" and spreading "lies."

Shlosberg's conviction stems from a Telegram post shared shortly after the war began in February 2022. The post referenced a British media report and included an image of a bloodied Ukrainian woman alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the caption "His blood... on his hands." The sentencing occurred even though Russia had not yet tightened its propaganda laws to their current extent at the war's outset.

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A politician's job is to live among his people, talk to people and take responsibility for them, even if not everyone agrees with you, and you yourself do not agree with everyone.

Shlosberg has maintained that the verdict is politically motivated. While in court in Pskov, he continued to call for a ceasefire. He was once able to criticize authorities relatively openly due to his distance from the Kremlin, but this changed after Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea. He was reportedly assaulted, with no perpetrators identified. His attempts to run for the Duma also faced obstacles.

The situation for the opposition worsened significantly with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Shlosberg was designated a "foreign agent" in June 2023. Despite these pressures, he remained in Russia, a rarity among opposition figures. In a July 2025 interview with Helsingin Sanomat, he stated that leaving Russia was never a viable option for him. "A politician's job is to live among his people, talk to people and take responsibility for them, even if not everyone agrees with you, and you yourself do not agree with everyone," he communicated to the newspaper. He also expressed that he did not wish for prison, adding, "If it happens, life will show how ready I was for it."

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If it happens, life will show how ready I was for it.